Abstract
Research-based teaching practices can improve student learning outcomes in a variety of complex educational environments. The implementation of learner-centered teaching practices in STEM can both benefit from or be constrained by different factors related to individual instructors and the teaching environment. Additionally, we know little of how the instructional climate varies across institutions and how this climate affects teaching practices. Our study sought to examine the relative importance of environmental influences and individual characteristics on learner-centered teaching practices across institutions. We also assessed differences in our study population and departmental climate for 35 US higher education institutions across the country. We found that self-efficacy in teaching and professional development exert a strong influence on faculty teaching practices in biology. While departmental climate did not emerge as a significant predictor of teaching practices, there was consistently low support for teaching, and institution size was negatively correlated with leadership and evaluation of effective teaching. We also found that intensive professional development programs, such as the Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching IV program, may prepare instructors to teach learner-centered courses in different collegial teaching climates. Our results suggest that through cultivating self-efficacy and participating in iterative professional development, instructors can implement effective teaching practices in a variety of institutional environments.
Highlights
As scientific research and knowledge continue to grow, the need to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to learn science is more urgent than ever [1, 2]
Faculty groups differed in some regards with respect to their perceptions of departmental culture surrounding teaching (Table 2). Both faculty groups most strongly agreed with the statement: “I frequently discuss issues pertaining to the improvement of teaching and learning with colleagues in my department.”
The statements were: “My department is committed to transforming curricula and courses to enhance active learning and inquiry-based teaching”, “Faculty in my department collaborate to achieve effective teaching”, and “Faculty in my department are interested in or are already
Summary
As scientific research and knowledge continue to grow, the need to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to learn science is more urgent than ever [1, 2]. A convincing body of evidence indicates that teaching strategies to promote active student engagement with science are most likely to increase student mastery of concepts and scientific practices and reduce achievement gaps in higher education [3,4,5]. Research-based pedagogical strategies can positively influence student learning outcomes as compared to traditional lecture-based approaches in which there is minimal student interaction with the instructor or each other.
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